Elaine is the managing director of The Creative Leadership Consultancy, a learning agency based on global collaborations to build more Agile, Playful, Curious and Energised leaders, an internationally accredited Master LEGO Serious Play practitioner as well as a blues singer and internationally published, award winning poet.

After having spent three years running weekly creative transdisciplinary workshops in maximum security prisons (Johannesburg Maximum Security Prison, Diepkloof Women’s Prison, Pretoria Central) for which she received a nomination by Femina for Woman of the Year (1996), she reskilled herself and entered the world of business and went on to become Dean for Damelin Management School overseeing the learning of 55 000 students.

She then tackled the executive education space and as director of Executive Education at UCT GSB (2005-2011) built the unit to international recognition. During her seven years as director of Executive Education at UCT GSB, she grew revenues 4.5 times and ensured a place in the top fifty globally for customised leadership development work - first in Africa according to the Financial Times of London and in the top 5 internationally according to the Economist (London). She also served as the chairperson for the advisory board of UCT GSB Women in Leadership. As a result of these works, she was the winner of the Business Women's Association Regional Business Achievement Awards in the Professional category for 2010.

After leaving UCT GSB, Elaine completed a two year stint as Professor and Leader in Residence for Sustainable Leadership Practices on the Masters in Business Leadership at Curtin Graduate School of Business in Perth, Australia (2011-2012) and served as Adjunct Professor in the Engagement, International and Governance portfolio at Victoria University in Melbourne, Australia (2013-2014).

She holds an MA (cum laude) in Comparative Literature and an MBA from Wits where her research report focused on Executive Coaching as a Leadership Development tool.

Elaine has taught in South Africa, Kenya, Switzerland, England, Denmark, Italy, the United States and Australia. She has worked with many organisations on growing their leaders including Johnson & Johnson, Maitland Fund, The Coca-Cola Company, Toyota, the United Nations, Mr Price, VW and Nestlé.